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S. P. FUL LINWIDER AND C. T. MINKLER.

HORN MINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17. I917.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

S. P. FULLINWIDER AND C. T. MINKLER.

HORN MINE.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1917.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIID- UNITE r as PATENT onnron.

SIMON .P. FULLINWIDER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA, AND CHESTER T. MINKLER, OF- NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

HORN-MINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SIMON P. FULLIN- WIDER and CHESTER T. MINKLER,Clt1Z8IlS of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Washington, District of Columbla, and Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode tain new and useful Improvements in Horn- Mines, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to mines, and more particularly to submarine mines of that type known a horn mines; that is, a mlne provided with a plurality of pro]ect1ng horns or the like adapted to be engaged by a passing vessel, and cause the explosion of the mine. Various types of horn mines have been devised operating on electrical contact principles, as well as hydrostatically, and it is to the latter type that the present 1nvention is more particularly directed.

One of the objects of thepresent invention is to provide a horn mine of the hydrostatic type of simple and practical construction. A further object is to provide a m ne of the above character which will be'exceedingly sensitive, reliable and efliclent 1n use and operation, yet capable of convenient and safe transportation and handling. A further object is to' provide a mine of the above general character having relatively few parts which may be inexpensively made and easily assembled.

Other objects will be in part obvlous from the annexed drawings and in part indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of this invention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and disposition thereof; all as more completely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features thereof that they may embody the same by numerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as a part, of thls disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters of reference Specification of Letters Patent.

Island, have invented cer-' in the relative proportioning and- Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

Application filed November 17, 1917. Serial No. 202,622.

denote corresponding; parts throughout all the views, of which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the complete mine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, slightly enlarged, of the firing mechanism shown in Fig. 1. r

Fig. .3 isa longitudinal sectional view of one of thehorns.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and more particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the mine is of general spherical construction, made of two semi-spherical bodies 5 and 6 permanently secured together by welding at 7. The lower half of the mine is adapted to contain an explosive charge 8 and firing mechanism 10, while the upper half constitutes a buoyancy chamber 11 and contains the several horns 12 and connecting pipes 13 leading to the firing mechanism 10. Removable caps 14 and 15 are provided at the top and bottom respectively to permit convenient access to the interior of I the mine or the firing mechanism, as desired.

' case, Serial No. 188,542. The firing mechanism, characterized by the tubular shell 10,

is carried by a ring 16 rigidly secured to the lower half of the'shell 6, and is provided at its upper end with an end member 17 held in central position by means of a plurality of straps 18 extending therefrom to the interior walls of the lower half of the mine. This end member, which is more or less of tubular construction, has a coacting closing wall 20 threadedly connected therewith and adapted to form a. hydrostatic chamber. The entrance to this chamber is through a neck 21 into which is threaded a fitting 22 having arms corresponding to the number of horns 12 placed upon the mine. Within the hydrostatic chamber is a movable piston 23 having a flexible member such as a bellows or diaphragm 2 1 secured to the closing member 20. ,The members 20 and 23 have telescopic sleeves 25 and 26- respectively,

means of spring 37, andinthe lower part of this casing, as shown in ig. 1, is a primer envelop 38 carrying asmallcharge of granular T. N. T. This envelop is normally in the position'shown'in Fig. 1, being held in place .by means of a pin 40 having its head '41 embedded in a soluble bushing 42 in the-end plate 15. l/Vhen the mine has been submerged for a relatively short time, this bushing will dissolve and permit the primer charge envelop 38 to be moved upwardly'by hydrostatic pressure into a position closely adjacent to the detonator 35.

It willthusbe seen that after the mine has been submerged and water admitted to the hydrostatic chamber through the pipes 13 on breaking ofi one of the horns, as will behereinafter described, the hydrostatic pressure will move the piston 23 downwardly compressing'thespring 27 until the piston 23 engages the end of the stem 34. Subse-' quent 'movement'willcause the firing pin to move downwardly allowingthe balls 31 to move inwardly with respect to the retainer 32 into spaces 43 provided therefor. This will permit the firing. pin to be bodily moved downwardly under the action of the compressed 'spring'27and cause the firing pin 33 to engage and explode the detonator- As the primer charge envelop 38 has already been moved upwardly into engagement therewith, the entire explosive charge will be detonated thereby."

This'firing mechanism forms no part of the present invention except in so far as it may enterinto certain inventions hereinafter set forth, the various features thereof forming the subject-matter of the pending Minkler application above referred to.. It is also clear that various other forms of det onating or firing mechanisms may be su Q stituted without material alteration.

Referring now to Fig. 3 in which the horn is shown,'it will be seen that the pipe ortube 13 terminates in a member 44 ermanently secured to the shell 5 and provided with internal threads 45 to receive either a plug 46, as shown at the left of Fig,

1, which is inserted therein during the transportation and normal handllng of the mine,

or the horn 'itself, shown at'the right of V F ig. 1, when the mine is about to be launched. This horn comprises a threaded nut member 47 having a threaded retaining member 48 in engagement therewith. This retaining member is adapted to hold a metal cap 50 having a flanged base 51 held rigidly in place by means ofa suitable intermediate soluble cement 52. This cap 50 is for the purpose of protecting a frangible member 53 axially disposed therein. This member 53, which is of glass or other suit able frangible material, is held in place by means of bushing 54 and its interior conimunicates directly with the pipe 13. It will thus be seen that o1rsubmergence of the mine the soluble cement 52 will dissolve, thus loosening the protecting metal cap 50- to such an extent that a 'blow' directed against the horn will break the frangible member 53 and allow the water to enter the tube 13 where it passes tothe hydrostatic chamber and actuates' the firing mechanism above described;

It is believed that the construction, method of useand operation'of a mine of this character will be clear to those skilled in the art without further' description. During transportation and handling prior to launching, the horns are not in place, the openings being closed by plugs 46.- \Vhen it is desired to launch the mine, these plugs are removed and the horns substituted. An anchor, not shown, is connected to suitable eye 55, or other desired fastening means. The mine is then launched andshortly thereafter the soluble cement 42 at the bottom of the mine-will release the primer charge envelop allowing it to move upwardly by hydrostatic pressure acting on bellows as shown, to a position adjacent the detonator 35. The soluble cement 52 around the horn will also dissolve, thus loosening the protecting cap50'whereupon the slightest shock caused by a passing vessel will break the'tube and'cause the explosion of the mine.

It is therefore believed that the present invention is adapted to accomplish among others all the advantages herein set forth. The mine is of simple, practical and inexpensive construction and exceedingly reliable and efficient in use and operation;

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can by applying current lm0wl-' edge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting certain features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims 1. Ina mine, a horn of frangible material, a 'metallic protector for said horn, and means comprising soluble cement for normally maintaining said protector rigid, said protector being loosely n iaintained about said horn after the cement is loosened by the action of the Water.

2. In a mine, a horn of frangible material, a metallic protector surrounding the horn and comprising a one-piece thimblelike member, said protector being normally held rigid by soluble cement which is adapted 10 to loosen after the mine has been submerged.

3. In a mine, a horn of frangible ma; terial, a metallic protector for said horn and having at one end a flange, a retaining member having a flange, and means comprising soluble cement between said flanges for normally maintaining said protector rigid.

Signed at Washington, D. (1., this 8th day of October, 1917.

SIMON P. FULLINWIDER. O. T. MINKLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

